32:5When16 Aaronsawthis,17 he builtan altarbeforeit,18 and Aaronmade a proclamation19and said, “Tomorrowwill be a feast20to the Lord.”32:6So they got up earlyon the nextday and offeredup burnt offeringsand broughtpeace offerings, and the peoplesatdown to eatand drink,21and they roseup to play.22

32:7The LordspoketoMoses: “Goquickly, descend,23becauseyour24 people, whomyou brought upfrom the landof Egypt, have acted corruptly.32:8Theyhave quicklyturned aside25fromthe waythatI commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”

32:9Then the Lordsaid toMoses: “I have seenthispeople.26Look27what a stiff-neckedpeoplethey are!2832:10So now, leaveme alone29 so that my angercan burnagainst them and I can destroythem, and I will makefrom you a greatnation.”

32:11But Mosessoughtthefavor30 of the Lordhis Godand said, “O Lord, whydoes your angerburnagainst your people, whomyou have brought outfrom the landof Egyptwith greatpowerand with a mightyhand?32:12Why31should the Egyptianssay,32 ‘For evil33he led them outto killthem in themountainsand to destroy34them from the faceof the earth’? Turnfrom your burninganger, and relent35of this evilagainstyour people.32:13RememberAbraham, Isaac, and Israelyour servants, to whomyou sworeby yourself and toldthem, ‘I will multiplyyour descendants36like the starsof heaven, and allthislandthatI havespoken about37 I will giveto your descendants,38and they will inheritit forever.’”32:14Then the Lordrelentedoverthe evilthat he hadsaidhe would doto his people.

32:15Mosesturnedand went downfromthe mountainwith39 the twotabletsof the testimonyin his hands. The tabletswere writtenonbothsides– theywere writtenon the front and on the back.32:16Now the tabletswere the workof God, and the writingwas the writingof God, engravedonthe tablets.32:17When Joshuaheardthenoiseof the peopleas they shouted,40he saidtoMoses, “It is the soundof warin the camp!”32:18Moses41 said, “It is notthe soundof those who shoutfor victory,42noris it the soundof those who crybecause they are overcome,43but the soundof singing44Ihear.”45

32:19Whenhe approachedthe campand sawthecalfand the dancing, Mosesbecame extremely angry.46He threwthetabletsfrom his handsand brokethemto pieces at the bottomof the mountain.4732:20He tookthecalfthey hadmadeand burnedit in the fire, ground it48 to powder, poured it outonthe water, and made theIsraelitesdrinkit.49

32:25Mosessawthat the peoplewere runningwild,54 forAaronhad let them getcompletely out of control, causing derisionfrom their enemies.5532:26So Mosesstoodat the entranceof the campand said, “Whoeveris for the Lord, come56 tome.”57 Allthe Levitesgatheredaround him,32:27and he saidto them, “Thussaysthe Lord, the Godof Israel, ‘Each manfasten58his swordonhis side, and gobackand forth59 from entranceto entrancethroughout the camp, and eachone killhis brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”60

32:28The Levitesdid whatMosesordered,61 and that dayabout threethousandmenof the peopledied.6232:29Mosessaid, “You have been consecrated63todayfor the Lord, foreachof youwas againsthis sonor againsthis brother, so he has givena blessingto you today.”64

32:31So Mosesreturnedtothe Lordand said, “Alas, thispeoplehas committeda very serioussin,68 and they have madefor themselves godsof gold.32:32But now, ifyou will forgivetheir sin…,69 but ifnot, wipemeout70from your bookthatyou have written.”7132:33The LordsaidtoMoses, “Whoeverhas sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book.32:34So nowgo, leadthepeopletothe place I havespokento you about. See,72my angelwill gobeforeyou. But on the daythat I punish, I will indeed punishthem for their sin.”73

32:35And the Lordsent a plagueon the peoplebecausethey hadmadethe calf74 – the one Aaronmade.75

33:1The LordsaidtoMoses, “Goup76from here, youand the peoplewhomyou brought upout of the landof Egypt, tothe landI promisedon oath77to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will giveit to your descendants.’7833:2I will sendan angel79beforeyou, and I will driveout theCanaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.8033:3Go up81 toa landflowingwith milkand honey. But82I will notgo upamongyou, foryou are a stiff-neckedpeople, and I might destroy you83on the way.”

33:4When the peopleheardthistroublingword84they mourned;85nooneput onhis ornaments.33:5For86 the Lordhad saidtoMoses, “Tellthe Israelites, ‘Youare a stiff-neckedpeople. If Iwent upamongyou for a moment,87I might destroyyou. Nowtake offyour ornaments,88that I may know89whatI should doto you.’”9033:6So the Israelitesstrippedoff their ornamentsby MountHoreb.

33:8And whenMoseswent out97tothe tent, allthe peoplewould getup98 and standat the entranceto their tents99and watch100Mosesuntilhe enteredthe tent.10133:9And102 wheneverMosesenteredthe tent, the pillarof cloudwould descendand standat the entranceof the tent, and the Lord103 would speakwithMoses.10433:10Whenallthe peoplewould see thepillarof cloudstandingat the entranceof the tent, allthe people, each oneat the entranceof his own tent, would riseand worship.10533:11The Lordwould speaktoMosesfacetoface,106the way a personspeaks107toa friend. Then Moses108 would returntothe camp, but his servant, Joshuasonof Nun, a young man, did notleavethe tent.109

33:19And the Lord128 said, “Iwill make allmy goodness129passbefore your face, and I will proclaimthe Lordby name130beforeyou; I will be graciousto whomI will be gracious, I will show mercyto whomI will show mercy.”13133:20But he added, “You cannotseemy face, fornoonecan132 seeme and live.”13333:21The Lordsaid, “Here134is a placeby me; you will stationyourself135 ona rock.33:22Whenmy glorypassesby, I will putyou in a cleftin the rockand will cover136 you withmy hand137whileI passby.13833:23Then I will take awaymy hand, and you will seemy back,139but my facemust notbe seen.”140